One more step towards a circular economy: recycling plastic waste at GCCM

Within the scope of our Closing The Loop Project, the Gold Coast City Marina & Shipyard is committed to reducing the impact of our waste streams on our health and the environment. In July, and with the collaboration of most of our onsite marine trades, GCCM is introducing a business initiative to eliminate unnecessary plastic waste from landfill.

In partnership with some external companies (in addition to our agreement with Scout Recycling Centres Queensland), GCCM will be recycling most of our plastic waste (see types of plastics below).

Bins will be distributed to our onsite professionals that have specific plastic waste and they will be collected for industrial recycling.

These are the plastics that we will be able to recover for recycling and remanufacturing:

• Plastic Pipes (#2 HDPE)
• Mobile Garbage Bins (#2 HDPE)
• Crates (#2 HDPE)
• Plastic film and packaging (#4 LDPE)
• Shrink wrap (#4 LDPE)
• Granulated Plastic (LDPE, HDPE, PP)
• Plastic Offcuts (LDPE, HDPE, PP)
• Water Tanks (MDPE)
• Buckets (PP)
• Reject battery casings (PP)

PET (plastic #1), are placed in the Scouts bin for recycling through the container deposit scheme.

Polystyrene (plastic #6) will be collected separately, so it does not break down and contaminate other types of plastics.

Recycling Process

The plastics will be recycled into resin to produce root guard, slip sheet, damp course, pallet pads, brick straps, hoarding panels, and cable cover. Here is an example of how HDPE is recycled:

This project is part of our broader effort to tackle one material at a time. If you have further suggestions about ways to free up plastic waste, please get in touch to let us know how to keep Closing the Loop on Waste at GCCM.